Out Of My Way
by Salix15
Summary: 3rd in my Faberry series.  After Rachel and Quinn are caught in a compromising position in Rachel's bedroom the two are forced to be honest about their feelings with the last people they have yet to tell.
1. Chapter 1

Rachel Berry walked through the front door with a little spring in her step. She was downright giddy that afternoon, and it had everything to do with the blonde girl walking behind her. Now that they had been Outed a couple of weeks ago, they didn't have to hide their relationship from everyone. Rachel was still determined to find out whoever had e-mailed Jacob, and give them a piece of her mind for doing something so inexcusable and unforgiveable, but at least there were a few bright sides to the situation.

"I missed you today," Quinn said, and wrapped her arms around Rachel from behind. She carefully took Rachel's books out of her hands and dropped them to the floor with a loud thud. They both giggled a little at the sound, but to her surprise, Rachel didn't complain for potentially causing damage to school property. She rested her chin on the little diva's shoulder, and took in a deep breath inhaling the smells of the brunette's conditioner, perfume, and unique scent that was all Rachel Berry.

Rachel smiled and placed her hands over Quinn's, which were resting on her stomach, and she leaned her weight against the blonde. "I missed you too," she said, and she couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. They had one class together, and Glee Club after school, plus they spent lunch together and their breaks in between classes. Even though they spent a great deal of time together at school, they truly did miss the other.

Quinn thought it was a little insane how dependant she was becoming on the other girl. She knew it was just Rachel Berry101; she had clung to Finn even more so, but this felt different. She found herself becoming so emotionally attached to the brunette that if she went too long without so much as texting her, she became anxious and cranky.

They stood there in a comfortable, almost soothing silence, just holding each other and letting all thoughts drift from their minds. They had managed to go a whole day without being slushied, but the football players didn't hold back on the verbal harassment. Rachel swore if one more guy offered to "turn her straight," she would lose it. She turned around in Quinn's arms and held the blonde close. All of the teasing, name calling, and sexual comments were worth it if this is what she got to do at the end of the day.

"You're so tense," Quinn said, and gently rubbed the brunette's back. She was worried about Rachel, even though she tried to keep those concerns to herself. Since they were Outed, Rachel had been more stressed out than normal. The bullying was getting worse, despite her efforts to protect the diva. "Do you want to go upstairs and relax?" When Rachel only nodded instead of verbally responding, Quinn couldn't help but smile and place a small kiss on the top of her head. After a few moments of silence, Quinn chuckled a little, and rubbed Rachel's back again. "If we're going to relax upstairs, we're going to have to move."

"Then I change my mind, I don't want to go upstairs," she said, and placed a few quick kisses on Quinn's neck. She was still completely fascinated by the blonde's neck, and all of the responses she could get when she kissed it. Quinn's fingers moved on her body from her back to her sides, and Rachel let out a little squeal followed by uncontrolled giggles when the former cheerleader tickled her ribs. "Stop, Quinn! I mean it, stop!" The blonde continued her assault and laughed as the shorter girl attempted to get away from her, but it was useless. "Ok, you win." As soon as those words left Rachel's mouth, the blonde's hands ceased their attack.

"That's all I wanted to hear," Quinn said, and placed a tender kiss on Rachel's lips. She took the diva by the hand, and they made their way up to Rachel's room.

In the last couple of months while they explored their sexuality together and grew closer, this room had become their sanctuary. It was their escape from the bullies, the stress of their studies, and all of the other fears and worries they had about life in general. "There, was that really so hard?" She asked once they were in the room, and the door was shut behind them. She put her backpack down next to the bed, and observed Rachel closely while she stood next to the dresser.

"Yes, it was. My feet hurt from walking up all of those stairs. If we had just stayed where we were then this wouldn't have happened," the diva answered dramatically with a little smirk on her face.

Quinn raised an eyebrow at her, and slowly walked over to the other girl. She wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist, staring into her eyes the entire time, and she could tell that the brunette looked a little nervous now. The expression on the blonde's face was predatory, and Rachel had no idea what to think. Normally when she made a dumb joke like that the other girl just laughed along with her and changed the subject.

"If we had stayed downstairs, we wouldn't be able to do this," she said, and kissed Rachel on the lips. This kiss wasn't like the ones they shared earlier. Those were tender, chaste kisses that were more about seeking comfort at the end of a tough day. This kiss was about control, about showing Rachel just how much the blonde wanted her. Rachel kissed her back with just as much force and wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck. The former cheerleader's dominant side was a turn on, and the more time they spent together, the harder it was becoming to control her basic urges.

She pulled back from Quinn's lips, and started peppering little kisses along the blonde's neck. It was one of her favorite things to do, and she was quickly discovering all of the different reactions she could get by teasing the different points on her girlfriend's neck. She couldn't help but smile when the other girl's head tilted back, giving her more room to explore, and a low moan escaped Quinn's throat. She nipped at Quinn's pulse point, and was rewarded with a shudder. She gently sucked on the little spot right behind Quinn's ear, and the other girl clung to her and her breathing became shallow.

"That's cheating, Berry," Quinn managed to get out. Rachel gently scraped her teeth against the spot, and Quinn actually went a little weak in the knees. The diva got a rush of adrenaline at the feeling. She couldn't believe she had this type of control over the other girl. Quinn was normally so in control of herself, but all the brunette had to do was kiss the right spots and the girl melted in her arms.

"All is fair in love and war, Fabray," she responded with a smile. She continued to kiss Quinn's neck, very slowly working her way down to the girl's collarbone. There she nipped, and softly kissed the flesh. The response wasn't as intense as it was on that little sweet spot behind the girl's ear, but when Quinn let out a little shuddery breath, Rachel couldn't help but smile.

"Ok, then I guess you won't mind if I do this," she said, and ran her hand up Rachel's shirt very slowly in case the other girl became uncomfortable. They may be teasing each other and becoming more comfortable touching under the clothes, but she didn't want to take the chance of taking things too far. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a repeat of the night of the party. But Rachel didn't protest, so Quinn slid her hand under the girl's bra and cupped her breast. She gently toyed with the other girl's nipple until it became painfully hard, and the smirk she got on her face could only be described as devilish.

"I don't mind at all," Rachel said, and rained more kisses along Quinn's throat. She needed to get the advantage back. She needed to prove she could throw the blonde off her game and reduce her to nothing but a melted mess of hotness. But Rachel was too distracted by the hand on her breast to really focus on the former cheerleader's neck. She would have to come up with something else to throw the other girl off her game. "In fact, I think if you went for it, I'd let you take my shirt off." She smiled in triumph when she heard the sudden intake of breath, and felt Quinn's whole body tense.

Quinn bit her bottom lip to stop the moan that wanted so desperately to come out of her throat. She couldn't believe what Rachel had just said. This wasn't the first time shirts had been removed while they were making out, but this was the first time it was Rachel's idea instead of Quinn whispering softly in Rachel's ear, asking permission to remove the fabric. Now that she was given a very bold challenge, she didn't hesitate before she reached down to remove the floral printed blouse. It was a little awkward because now that her hand was on Rachel's breast she refused to remove it just in case the diva became shy.

Rachel helped her take the shirt off when using one hand was taking too long. Once it was removed their lips instantly met. It wasn't frantic or full of raw passion like Rachel thought it would be. No, it was tender and soft, and when she felt Quinn's other hand softly running up and down her spine, she shivered and goose bumps broke out all over her body. She trailed her lips down the diva's throat, softly nipping occasionally as her fingers found Rachel's bra strap. She teased it for a moment, waiting for any sign of protest. When she didn't receive any she carefully unhooked it, and Rachel pulled the garment off, and dropped it to the floor on top of her shirt.

"We need to be lying down," Quinn said when her knees went a little weak. Rachel had never been this bold before. The very few times Quinn was able to get the diva out of her bra, it was always met with a lot of blushing and nervous giggling, and Rachel wouldn't allow the blonde to openly look at her chest. But now she wasn't acting shy about this at all, and Quinn didn't know why but she wasn't stupid enough to stop and ask what had gotten into the brunette beauty standing before her.

"I couldn't agree more," she responded and wrapped her arms around the blonde's back as they walked towards the bed without breaking contact. This was something that they had done countless times before, but it was different that day. Instead of Quinn being in charge, it was Rachel who was leading the blonde over to the bed, and when Quinn's legs bumped against the mattress she lay down on her back and waited for the brunette to join her. Normally she needed to be in control; when she lost control bad things happened, but she knew she could trust Rachel, and now that they were recovered from that incident at the party, Rachel fully trusted her too.

She watched in amusement as Rachel took off their shoes, and carefully removed Quinn's socks. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered the day Rachel went on a tangent about how annoying the feeling of shoes or socks rubbing against her legs felt. When Rachel was done with that, the blonde scooted back on the bed and rested against the plethora of pillows. She watched as she Rachel crawled towards her on her hands and knees, and suddenly Quinn couldn't breathe. The brunette looked so sexy, and Quinn just knew by that little glint in the other girl's eyes she was doing this on purpose to throw the blonde off.

Quinn tried as hard as she could to keep her expression neutral and to keep her libido in check. She thought she was doing a really good job, and even gave herself a mental-high five when Rachel winked at her and she didn't melt into a giant puddle on the bed, but when the diva straddled her waist and leaned down to kiss her, Quinn could feel herself slowly coming undone. She put her hands on Rachel's hips, and tried as hard as she could not to flip them over and take the diva right there. But then Rachel pulled back from the kissing and looked deeply into Quinn's eyes – there was something about the expression on the diva's face that made the blonde's breathing hold for just a moment.

"Quinn," she said and stopped. Quinn just lay there. She knew if Rachel needed to say something, but was too shy and didn't quite know how to word it, then the best thing was to just wait for her to find the words instead of rushing her. "Quinn, I love you." The diva became very bashful after she said the words and looked away from her girlfriend's face. This wasn't how she pictured saying those words to Quinn for the first time. There was supposed to be candlelight and a romantic atmosphere, but the blonde made her feel so safe, and she couldn't help herself. "I know we haven't been together as a couple for very long, and it's probably too soon to say it, but I wanted you to know that's how I feel about you now."

"Rachel," the blonde said, stopping the other girl from continuing to ramble. There was something about Quinn's tone that made Rachel brave enough to look into her eyes again. She relaxed as soon as she felt the blonde's hands softly caressing her bareback. She wasn't completely comfortable being half nude in front of the other girl, but if she kept massaging her like this she could quickly get used to it. "It isn't too soon to say it." Quinn gently tucked some loose strands of Rachel's dark hair behind her ear, and she let out a little sigh. "I love you, too; and I'm not just saying it because you said it. I really mean it."

Rachel couldn't help but smile; the blonde knew her a little too well. "How did I get so lucky?" she asked, and she sounded slightly awestruck. "I mean, I have the future prom queen of McKinley High in my bed telling me that she loves me. If I were to go back in time and tell this to my freshman-self, she would never believe me. In fact, she would probably laugh in my face and walk away." They shared a laugh at the image Rachel created, and Quinn placed a soft kiss on the other girl's lips. She continued to gently rub the diva's back, and she was amazed at how soft her skin was.

"Well then, your freshman-self is a moron," she said, and that made Rachel smile a little wider. With one hand she started to run her fingers through Rachel's hair and smiled when the diva let out a little moan of contentment. Hearing that sound always made her smile. "You think you're lucky, but I'm the lucky one. You've made me a better person. You make me want to be somebody one day." She kissed Rachel again, and when she pulled back she had a little smirk on her face. "Besides, I have Rachel Berry naked from the waist up and lying on top of me. My life is pretty awesome right now." Rachel laughed and smacked Quinn on the thigh.

"I didn't know you were into spanking," Quinn said with another devilish smirk. Rachel instantly got an intense blush on her face. "I guess it's true what they say about the good girls being really kinky."

Rachel tried to protest, but before she could, Quinn leaned forward and kissed her. Any words that may have been on her tongue disappeared, and her body pressed more firmly into the body below hers. Then out of nowhere Quinn scratched her short nails down Rachel's back, and the brunette moaned into the kiss, and started lightly grinding against the other girl. She had no idea something like that would feel so good. They were so caught up in one another they didn't hear the bedroom door open.

"Rachel, honey, how many times I have told you to-" they heard, and pulled away from each other. They looked back towards the door, and standing there was Rachel's dad, looking shocked. The mail he was holding in his hand dropped to the floor, and his eyes were so wide the brunette thought for a second they might actually pop out of his skull. Rachel's heart started pounding with fear as an expression settled on his face. She'd never seen that look before, and she wasn't sure how to describe it, but she just knew she would be lucky to get out of this situation alive.

"Rachel, get dressed, and get downstairs right now, young lady." And just like that he walked off, leaving the door open behind him. Rachel sat there unable to move or speak.

"Bright side? At least one of your dads knows," Quinn said sounding sheepish.

Rachel looked at her with a glare so intense, Quinn was sure if the other girl had super powers she would be nothing more than a Quinn-shaped pile of ash right now. The diva got off of her without a word, and put her clothes back on. She had tears in her eyes, and her mind was going a mile a minute. Was her daddy going to hate her for keeping this a secret? Was he going to forbid her from seeing the other girl when he found out who she was? She had no idea, and the thought of being told she wasn't allowed to see the other girl broke her heart.


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel and Quinn sat on the couch in the Berry's living room, waiting for their fate to be decided. They both looked like two small children who had been caught "playing doctor." Quinn was staring at her lap, too embarrassed to face the man pacing anxiously back and forth across the living room. Rachel stared at her dad trying to figure out what he was thinking, but was only drawing a big blank. After several tense minutes, Mr. Berry finally sat down. His gaze focused on the guilty looking blonde.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?" Hiram asked, and he didn't sound as angry as he looked, which Quinn thought was a good thing. She let out a little breath, trying to build up her courage, but finally looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. Was he being serious? Did he really expect an answer to that question or was he just messing with her? Before she could say anything, however, she was interrupted.

"Daddy, you can't be serious. This isn't the 1950s, you don't need to be asking questions like that," Rachel said sounding completely taken aback and mad. Her back straightened, she squared her shoulders, and she had that tight look on her face that she always got right before she stormed out of the room. The look in her eyes was intense, and it mirrored the intensity of the look in her father's eyes.

"I just caught my daughter half naked and straddling a girl I've never met before. I'll ask whatever questions I see fit," he said, his tone clipped and coarse.

Rachel was about to argue further when she felt Quinn's soft hand gently grasp onto hers. She looked over at the blonde sitting silently beside her, and the look in those green eyes calmed her down a little.

"It's ok, Rachel, I don't mind," Quinn said, and let go of her girlfriend's hand. She wanted to keep the brunette calm and stop this conversation from escalating into a full on fight, but she didn't want to push her buttons with the man she needed to impress. "Mr. Berry, my only intentions are to make Rachel happy, and treat her the way every girl deserves to be treated." There was a tense moment as Hiram thought about what she just said, and Quinn waited, unconsciously holding her breath for him to respond.

"And how long has this been going on exactly?" he asked, and sat back further in the chair. Both girls took that as a good sign. He wasn't as rigid or as tense as he was before. He was starting to calm down, and Rachel had hope she would make it out of this alive. She wanted to jump in and answer, but she knew Quinn needed to be the one to say it. Her dad was sizing Quinn up, seeing if she buckled under pressure or not. And as archaic as Rachel thought it was, she knew they would get nowhere by interrupting.

"That's a little complicated, sir," Quinn said, and looked down at her hands. She suddenly realized this is how Finn must have felt when he met her parents, and she felt bad for him and every other boy she ever brought home. Not that there were many, but being on this end of the dating process was something she never thought she would experience. "Officially we've been together as a couple for only a couple of weeks. But for the last couple of months we've been supporting each other while we figured out our sexuality. I was raised in a very strict Catholic home, and discovering what I really am was a hard thing to process."

"And this process involved being half nude in my daughter's bed?" he asked, and Rachel's face blushed so hard the tips of her ears felt like they were going to burst from the pressure. Even though she was embarrassed, she was also very proud of Quinn. Both of her fathers could be very intimidating when they wanted to be, and Quinn was handling it with grace, even when her father said something as rude as that.

"Daddy, that's the first time we've done something like that," she said, and felt a little pang of guilt. She hated lying to her fathers, but a little white lie wasn't going to hurt. If he found out what Quinn did that one afternoon he would probably throw a tantrum. He really didn't need to know about the under the skirt over the panty action. "We were emotionally supportive of each other while we figured out our sexuality. The…other stuff didn't happen right away." Quinn started praying she didn't look guilty because if he caught them in this lie she had a really bad feeling about how he would react.

"So this is just an experiment?" he asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. Quinn still looked guilty and Rachel still looked mad, but once his little diva got on a roll about one thing or another there was little he could do to cool her down. "You're using each other to work through your confusion?"

Rachel's eyebrows furrowed so tightly the lines on her forehead became very prominent, and if Hiram didn't need to save face he would have physically backed away. He had never seen her look this upset about anything before, and that was saying something. "You make it sound awful when you say it like that," she spat out, and took Quinn by the hand as a show of comradely. "Yes, at first we were experimenting with each other, but Quinn and I care about each other a lot. We're dating now, and I'm sorry you had to find out about it like this instead of hearing it from me, but we had our reasons for keeping it a secret." Rachel hoped her father didn't ask about those reasons. She didn't want him knowing about the bullying at school. As far as her parents were concerned, the Glee Club kids were her best friends, and she was never picked on by the jocks and cheerleaders.

"Rachel, I know you've always had a flare for the dramatics, but what were you so afraid of?" he asked, and the diva glanced over at Quinn, a look of pure desperation on her face. "You didn't honestly believe your two gay dads would punish you or throw you out for telling us you're confused and trying to find your way through it?" His eyebrows raised in a very skeptical look as he waited for an answer. Rachel tried to come up with something, but for the first time in her life she was lost for an answer, even if it was a lie.

"I asked her to be quiet, sir," Quinn said, covering for Rachel. She felt the diva squeeze her hand a little tighter, and she chose to believe it was her silent way of saying 'thank you.' "She wanted to come out, but if my mother found out about this I don't know what she would do to me." That wasn't a lie, and at just the thought of her mother finding out about her and Rachel, tears started to well up in her eyes. "Please, Mr. Berry, you can't say anything to her. I'm really sorry about what you walked in on, we never should have gotten caught up in the heat of the moment like that, but please don't tell my mother."

"I'm a protective father, Quinn, I'm not a monster," he said, sounding a little surprised by her outburst. Rachel gently rubbed her back, trying to calm her girlfriend down. She may have been pushing her luck showing this much affection in front of her daddy while he was still upset with them, but she didn't care; if Quinn needed her she would be there even if it made the situation worse. "I know exactly what it's like to come out to religiously conservative parents. Not only did I tell my mother and father that their only son was gay, but he was also in a relationship with a man who wasn't Jewish. I thought my mother was going to have a coronary."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Berry," Quinn said, wiping the tears from her eyes. She tried to be careful not to smear her makeup too much. She already felt guilty and exposed having been caught with Rachel; the last thing she needed was to feel self-conscious about her looks. "You have no idea what this means to me." Suddenly the man put his hand up, signaling for her to be quiet. She became very nervous, and glanced over to Rachel for some reassurance, but the other girl was just as lost as she was.

"There's no need to thank me, Quinn," he said, and the look on his face became more serious. Rachel tensed and held Quinn's hand just a little tighter. She knew that look on her dad's face, and this wasn't going to be good. "Now let me make myself very clear about something: if you ever need to talk to someone about what you're going through, I'm more than willing to listen. I know what it's like to feel lost and alone, but keeping this secret for you isn't an excuse for bad behavior. If I catch you in my daughter's bed again you won't be welcome in this house anymore. Do you two understand?"

"Yes, sir, I completely understand," Quinn said, and she nodded her head along with her words. She would have to make sure to ask one of her guy friends about this whole process of making nice with the girlfriend's parents. This was an aspect to their relationship she never thought about before, and now that she was being hit right over the head with it, she was having a really hard time dealing with it.

"Good," Hiram said, and he looked over at his daughter. He looked Rachel straight in the eyes, and waited for a response. Rachel sat there in defiance. Her father was basically threatening her girlfriend, blackmailing her as a way to control their behavior, and she didn't like it one bit. "Rachel?" She let out a little huff, and the "diva expression" came back over her face. Quinn was sure this time she was going to storm out of the room, and she prayed that the brunette would control the urge, or else she would be left alone with the man who had walked in on them.

"I understand, Daddy," she said, in a slightly condescending tone. "You don't want me expressing my feelings for Quinn in a normal, healthy way. You and Dad may as well buy me a chastity belt, or lock me up in a tower until it's time for me to go to college."

Quinn stared wide-eyed at Rachel's dad as she waited for a response. If she had ever talked back to one of her parents like that there would have been hell to pay, but the expression on Hiram's face suggested this was a routine thing between father and daughter.

"And when Quinn leaves, you are more than welcome to go up to your room and sing Part of Your World, and pretend to be Ariel," he said, and he sounded completely sincere, which only made Rachel even more agitated. Quinn had to bite her cheeks to stop herself from smiling as she imagined the diva doing just that. "But I don't want my sixteen year old daughter having sex, especially with a girl she's only been dating for a couple of weeks. And while we're on the subject of rules, the two of you are not to be in this house unsupervised, and when Quinn is here there's an open door policy."

"And we'll be sure to follow those rules, Mr. Berry," Quinn said before Rachel could say anything else. She knew her girlfriend was very outspoken, and it was one of the things she had grown to love about her, but digging herself into a bigger hole wasn't going to help their cause. What if he decided they couldn't see each other anymore because Rachel refused to accept his rules? Rules that, Quinn thought, were perfectly fair, and would have been implemented if Rachel were seeing a boy. "Won't we, Rachel?" She looked over at the brunette, and much to her relief, the diva nodded her head in agreement.

"Yes, we will," she said, sounding small. Then she looked over at her dad, and that air of defiance was back. Rachel was in love with Quinn, _in love_. This wasn't just some school girl crush, or fantasy. This was real love that she felt, and she wasn't about to sit idly by, and watch her father set limitations to that love without going down swigging. "Even if these rules are archaic, and completely uncalled for." Hiram raised his eyebrows at his daughter, and again Quinn was completely surprised by how much Rachel was allowed to get away with.

"Rachel," the man said, and they could both tell by the tone of his voice that he was starting to lose patience with her. "You're on thin ice enough as it is; stop jumping on it before it breaks." The little diva nodded her head, and looked down at her lap in defeat. "And one more thing before you go, Quinn. You'll have to come over for dinner sometime soon so my husband and I can meet you properly."

Quinn let out a big unconscious sigh of relief at those words. If he was inviting her to dinner than that meant he didn't hate her. "I can do that, sir. If you're not busy this weekend we can have it then. My schedule is wide open." She was lying, but she didn't want to put this off. She knew Santana was going to be pissed for canceling their plans, but this was more important. She had an invitation to make nice with her girlfriend's parents, and she wasn't about to let that go to waste for a horror movie marathon and binge eating on junk food.

"That sounds perfect," he said, and stood up from the chair. Both girls watched him closely, waiting for some type of signal as to what they should do next. "And Rachel, when you tell Dad tonight about all of those personal discoveries, and the fact you have a girlfriend, leave out the part about how I found out. The last thing we need is to make his high blood pressure worse." Despite all of the tension in the room, Rachel couldn't help but laugh. The other man was by far the less strict of the two, but he was the one who had the most influence over Rachel's dramatic behavior.

"Ok, Daddy," she said with a smile on her face. "Does Quinn have to go home right now? We have math together, and there's a test we need to study for. I thought we could do that together." He gave her a pointed look, and the smile instantly vanished from her face. "Right, thin ice." She stood up from the couch, lightly tugging on Quinn's hand, and the blonde didn't hesitate to stand up. "I'll just show Quinn out." Hiram smiled and nodded his head a little. It seemed as though Rachel was finally finished arguing with him, for right now, at least.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Berry," Quinn said with a small, forced smile on her face. She was still feeling too tense and guilty to form a real smile, and she hoped it didn't look too fake. The last thing she needed was this man being suspicious of her. "I only wish it were under different circumstances." The man couldn't help but let out a laugh, and he scratched at the back of his neck, the tension was finally starting to get to him.

"Quinn, you have no idea how much I agree with that statement," he said, and all three laughed a little. Now that the tension was finally starting to disappear they all felt a little more comfortable around each other. "Drive safe. The weather has been progressively awful all day long." This time when Quinn smiled it wasn't fake, and her muscles relaxed now that she didn't need to be quite as on guard as before.

"Thank you, sir. I'll see you this weekend," she said, and Rachel led her to the front door. As soon as they were out of Hiram's sight, Rachel threw her arms around Quinn's neck and kissed the girl for all she was worth. She was so proud of Quinn for the way she handled that very awkward situation. The girl could have run, she could have denied her feelings and lied to her father about the situation he walked in on, but she didn't. She admitted her feelings for the other girl, and the little diva wanted to drag the blonde beauty upstairs, and show her just how proud of her she was.

"I can't believe that just happened," Quinn said, when they finally broke apart for air. Rachel let out a little laugh, and ran her fingers through the former cheerleader's blonde locks. She smiled at the surprised, and relieved expression on the other girl's face. If someone had to guess they would probably say she just avoided a major car accident instead of what they had just gone through. "Can you believe that happened? Because I cannot believe that just happened." Rachel giggled a little, and left a soft kiss on the tip of Quinn's nose.

"You said that part already, honey," she said, and couldn't help but giggle again at the goofy smile on the blonde's face. "And no, I can't believe that just happened. I always thought that if one of my dads caught me in bed with someone there would be blood, but he took that surprisingly well. That could be because whenever I imagined it I was with a boy, and we were in the throes of passion. Maybe he didn't take it so badly because we were only on second base, and you're a girl." Quinn placed a quick kiss on Rachel's lips before pulling away and rubbing the other girl's back.

"I don't care why he took it as well as he did, I'm just glad I made it out of there alive. He invited me to dinner, did you hear that?" she asked, and Rachel nodded her head. "He knows now, Rachel, and this weekend I'm going to have dinner over here and your other dad will know, and then we'll get to go out on real dates, and we won't have to lie about what we're doing because they'll know it's a real date." Rachel had never seen the blonde this happy before, and she was sure if she smiled that wide for too much longer her face would get stuck like that. "And I'm going to tell my mom."

Rachel's eyebrows shot up to her hairline in surprise. "Are you sure, Quinn?" she asked, sounding concerned. Quinn started rubbing her back again, hoping to bring the other girl some comfort, but it didn't seem to work. "That's a big step, and like you told my dad, your family is very conservative. You could get kicked out of your house again, and you'd be homeless. I don't want you to be homeless because of me." The smile was instantly wiped off of Quinn's face at the little diva's words.

"If she did kick me out again, Rachel, it isn't because of you. It's because she can't accept me for who I am. I want to share this with my mom. I want to be honest with her about who I am. I want to be able to talk about this amazing person I've been dating, a person who brings me so much joy, and has helped me gain my self-respect and esteem back." Rachel got a confused look on her face, and Quinn became nervous. What had she said that was offensive?

"Am I going to get to meet this person? As your girlfriend it's only fair," she said, and Quinn rolled her eyes. "You know I got you, just admit it. I'm getting really good at these pranks you love to play on me so much." Before the brunette could gloat too much, the blonde leaned down and gave her another kiss. It lingered for a few moments before she finally pulled back, and looked deeply into Rachel's eyes.

"I love you, Rachel, and I want my mom to know about it. I want her to know mostly because I want you to be able to pick me up when you take me out on a date. I want you to be able to ring the doorbell, hand me a bouquet of flowers, and promise my mom you'll have me home by curfew. I want everything that comes along with being in a relationship, and we're not going to get that if I'm keeping this from her."

Tears welled in Rachel's eyes, and she buried her face in the blonde's neck. "I love you so much, Quinn, and I want all of those things too," she said, and the two just stood there for a few moments holding each other. When they heard her father clearing his throat behind them, it snapped them back to reality. Rachel took a small step back, and looked into Quinn's eyes. They both had a blush on their faces having been caught for a second time that day doing something they weren't supposed to be doing. "I'll see you at school tomorrow. And drive safe, I hear the weather has been progressively awful all day." A smirk formed on Rachel's lips when she practically heard her father rolls his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Quinn stood in the kitchen doorway of her home watching her mother cook dinner. There was a glass of white wine on the counter, but it had mostly gone untouched. Ever since her mother threw her father out of the house, she didn't find herself needing to drink as much to numb the way he made her feel. Quinn wasn't sure if the conversation would go better or worse with her mother being sober, but she couldn't chicken out now. She had been building up the courage to talk to her mother about the feelings she had for Rachel for weeks now. She wasn't going to let that mental stress be for not.

"Hey, Mom," she said as she walked through the door. She wasn't sure if it was her tone of voice, the expression on her face, her body language, or a combination of them all, but as soon as Judy heard the tone of her daughter's voice and glanced over at the teen, she knew something was very wrong. A very anxious feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as every worst-case scenario flashed before her mind's eye in the matter of seconds. "I need to talk to you about something."

Judy tried to stay calm. She tried to keep the panic coiling inside her out of her expression, but she had a feeling she was failing miserably. "Ok," she said, mostly out of not knowing what else to say. She turned her attention back to the stove, turning the burners down to prevent the food from burning while her mind was elsewhere. Quinn didn't speak, but looked increasingly nervous. The two seemed to be feeding off each other's anxiety. "Quinnie, what is it, sweetheart?"

The younger blonde took in a big breath, and let it out very slowly as she tried as hard as she could to remember the speech she had been practicing for the last three hours.

"Mom," she started, her nerves making it extremely difficult to recall any of the words she had rehearsed with Rachel. She already felt completely overwhelmed, and the conversation hadn't even really started. "I know that in the past I kept a lot of things from you. I was really scared of what you would say and of disappointing you. But the last couple of months I've been going through something, and I want to share this with you, but I'm terrified that you're going to be ashamed of me or hate me."

All of the color drained from her mother's face, and her stomach tied itself in knots at what the older blonde might be thinking. "Quinn, are you pregnant again?" Judy asked. She hated asking, hated the thought, but it had to be said. She had promised herself that if her daughter ever needed her again, was ever in that situation again, she would be there for her. But thinking about it, and being faced with it were two different things. She was afraid of what her daughter was going to say. She was horrified at the thought of her little girl making that big mistake again.

"No, Mom, I'm not pregnant," Quinn said with a bite of agitation in her voice. Judy let out a big breath she didn't even realize she had been holding. Quinn took a moment to calm down. She couldn't blame her mother for jumping to that conclusion, but she was sick of having that one mistake held against her. "I haven't, you know, since that one time." Her face blushed crimson, but she fought back the awkwardness. "But I have been seeing someone. Someone who's amazing, and makes me feel so special, and treats me better than anyone I've ever been with before."

The panic slowly eased from Judy's face, but she remained apprehensive. Surely Quinn wouldn't be acting this way unless there was bad news ahead. "That's wonderful, sweetheart," she said as she momentarily turned her attention back to the preparation of their meal. She needed a little space, mentally. Going through so many emotions in such a short amount of time left her feeling a little overwhelmed. But she was determined to be there for her daughter, and if Quinn needed to talk she wasn't going to dismiss that. She glanced over at the younger blonde for just a second as she stirred the sauce in the large pot. "So, who's the lucky boy, and when do I get to meet the person who's making you feel so special?" She heard Quinn let out a really big sigh, and she turned her full attention back to her daughter. The feeling in her stomach telling her that something bad was about to happen intensified as she waited for the girl's response.

"Well, that's the thing, Mom," she said, picking at her cuticles like she only did when she was really nervous. Judy noticed it right away and subconsciously held her breath. "The person making me feel this way." She paused. Her heart was beating so furiously she could feel it pounding in her ears. She licked her lips nervously as she tried to will the anxiety away. In her mind this was it. Now or never. Being honest with her mom about her relationship or running from the room with her tail between her legs. "Her name is Rachel Berry." Quinn stared at her mother waiting for a response. The silence felt so thick, she thought she might choke on it.

"I know it's a shock, but I want to be honest with you about my life. Rachel is important to me. She's sweet, and funny, and listens to me when I've had a bad day and need to vent, and she wants to be somebody one day, and she makes me feel like I can be somebody too," she said, tears pooled in her eyes as her emotions got the better of her. The look on her mother's face made her want to run away, but she forced herself to stay. She wasn't going to be a coward about this. She couldn't let herself, or Rachel, down.

"But Quinnie," her mother said, sounding breathless and a little out of it. Judy's mind was reeling. Out of all the things that ran through her mind when Quinn walked through the door, this was not one of them. She had no idea what to think. No idea what to say. Her daughter had just dropped a bomb in the room, and she had no clue how to respond. "You're not a…a….." She couldn't force herself to say it.

"Lesbian?" Quinn said with a little chuckle. She knew her mother's reaction was going to be bad, but she wasn't expecting that at all. For some reason it eased some of the tension in her body, and she had to force herself not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. "Don't worry, Mom, you can say the word. God isn't going to smite you with a lightning bolt if you say it."

In an instant her mother's face went from shock to fury, and it made Quinn take a small step back in fear. Now she knew where she got her "scary Quinn" side from. "This isn't the time for jokes, young lady," her mother practically yelled. It sobered her up instantly, and Quinn got a pressure inside of her chest. This was really happening. She came out to her mom, and she was having a bad reaction. She didn't want to be a part of this moment. She wanted to be somewhere else, anywhere else, as long as she didn't have to face this. But she had to if she wanted to be able to look in the mirror and not be disgusted by her reflection. "How long has this been going on?" Quinn looked down at her feet for a few moments while she summoned the courage to be honest.

"We've been seeing each other for a few months," she said, and looked up at her mom again. Judy looked furious. There were so many things Quinn wanted to say, but the look in her mother's eyes made her bite her tongue. She expected her mother to cry, she expected her mother to yell, she expected her mother to not understand and to tell her what she was doing is a sin, but she never expected to see that much hate and anger in her mother's hazel eyes.

"So for months you've been lying to me?" she asked, her voice rising in volume, and her tone thick with anger. "You told me you were getting help with your studies from a friend, but really you've been sneaking off to be with another girl." Quinn wasn't sure exactly what it was about the way her mother said "another girl," but it made her cringe on the inside. She refused to flinch, however. She didn't want to let her mother see just how much her words were affecting her. "So this _Rachel_ has turned you into a liar and a-"

"She hasn't _turned_ me into anything," she spat out. This was something she was expecting, but she wasn't as prepared to hear it as she thought she was. She felt angry, hurt, and protective of Rachel, and she wasn't about to let her mother badmouth the best thing that had happened to her since her pregnancy. "I'm sorry for lying to you, I really am. We didn't tell anyone because we were both confused about how we felt. But I'm sure now, Mom. I've never been more sure about anything."

Her mother didn't say anything, and she didn't look as angry. She downright exhausted, and Quinn stood there fighting back tears while she prayed for a response. "Mom, what are you thinking?"

"You need to go to your room," Judy said, her voice caught in her throat. A wave of panic washed over Quinn, and her lips started to tremble. She didn't expect this at all. She'd never been sent to her room in her entire life. Her parents always lectured, always changed the subject, or were the ones who left the room. The only other time she was sent away was when her father told her to pack up and leave. She tried to speak, but her mother held up a hand silencing the words on her tongue. "I need some time to think. Now, please Quinnie, just go to your room."

Quinn turned, and slowly walked out of the kitchen. She didn't want to act like a child and run away. She didn't want her mother to see just how much she was dying inside. Even if she was hurt, she was still a Fabray. Right before she was through the doorway, she glanced back just in time to see her mother down the entire glass of wine in four big gulps. Seeing her mother turn to alcohol to deal with the situation, just like she had done when Russell was still in the house, was the final straw. She sucked in a deep breath, and took off for the stairs.

She let her tears fall as she made her way for her bedroom. She slammed the door, and threw herself on her bed. She knew she was acting like a stereotypical teenager, but she really didn't care at that moment. She buried her face in her pillow and sobbed all of the pain she was holding inside. She had known her mom was going to react badly, she even thought that maybe she would be kicked out of the house again, but she wasn't expecting it to _hurt_ this damn much. When the tears finally stopped, she grabbed her cell phone off her nightstand, and her thumbs immediately started flying over the keys.

"Just told my mom about us," she sent to Rachel, and wiped the tears from her eyes as she waited for a response. A part of her wanted to disengage and forget that any of this happened. An even smaller part of her wanted to tell her mom that she would "fix" everything; that she would break up with Rachel, find a boyfriend, and be the perfect daughter she was expected to be. But just the thought of losing the brunette caused a stabbing pain to run right through her heart.

"I'm so proud of you, baby. How did it go?" she got back just moments later. She couldn't help but smile. It made her feel good knowing Rachel was proud. She pictured the look on the diva's face, a big happy smile with nothing but pride and love in her eyes. She allowed herself a moment to bask in that feeling, to let it give her some strength before she started typing out her reply, causing the pain to come back in a huge tidal wave.

"Disastrous. She didn't kick me out (yet), but she sent me to my room. She's not happy about this at all. She hates me now." Tears started welling up in her eyes again. If she were kicked out would Rachel's dads let her move in? Would Mercedes parents take her in like they had during her pregnancy? She didn't have a clue and realized this should have been something she had planned for before coming out to her mom. The vibrations of her phone pulled her out of her thoughts.

"She could never hate you, Quinn, you're her baby. She's just in shock," was the response she got from Rachel. Before she could think of anything to write back, another message caused her phone to vibrate. She hit the ok button and read Rachel's new message. "I wish I could be there to comfort you." That made her smile just a little, and some of the tension eased from her shoulders.

"I wish you could be here too. I need some Rachel-cuddles and kisses," she sent and sniffled very loudly. She knew she needed to get up and wash her face. She probably looked like a circus freak after all of the crying she'd done, and if the smear marks on her pillow case were any indication of how bad her mascara had run, she was definitely in need of some warm water and soap. But she couldn't care because her wonderful girlfriend was actually making her feel better about a crappy situation.

"Pick me up early tomorrow, and you can have plenty of them before school," she got back, and the smile that spread over her face was a little bigger. She sniffled again and rolled over onto her back. She tried to get comfortable on the bed, but her muscles were still so tense and sore because of it, she couldn't get comfortable no matter what she did.

"You're the sweetest girlfriend ever. What did I do to deserve you?" she wrote, and stared up at the ceiling while she waited for a response. She tried as hard as she could not to think about what her mother might be doing downstairs. Was she drowning the problem in alcohol? Was she cooking their dinner and trying to pretend like everything was normal? Was she coming up with a big speech about how God thinks gay people are evil, and if she doesn't agree to stop seeing Rachel, she would be forced to leave the house? Her cell phone buzzed, startling her out of her thoughts.

"I don't know. Maybe you were really good in a past life," Rachel wrote back, and Quinn couldn't help but chuckle. She could feel the tension slowly drain from her sore body, and she couldn't believe that simply texting with the other girl was making her feel so much better. She quickly wrote out a response, wanting to know what the diva would say next.

"Jewish people don't believe in reincarnation," she sent and glanced over at the door. She wanted her mother to come up and talk to her. She wanted to go back down and see what her mom was doing. She wanted to curl up in a ball and never leave the room. She also wanted to see Rachel dressed in her Britney Spears' costume and waiting for her on her bed, but she knew none of those things were going to happen.

"You're right, we don't. I guess you're lucky you have a nice ass ; )" The smile on her face could have lit up a pitch black room, and her face was actually starting to get a little sore. She was amazed at the effect Rachel had on her. She did, however, stop herself from laughing, even though she could feel it bubbling up inside her. She couldn't explain why, but she didn't want her mother to overhear her.

"I knew you only liked me for my body, you dog," she sent back, and waited. She glanced over to her window, and her eyes locked on it. Maybe she could sneak out. It wouldn't be easy, but it could be done. She could leave and go over to Rachel's. If just texting the diva made her feel better, than seeing her would take all of the hurt away, if only for a little while. As much as she wanted to curl up in Rachel's arms and forget this horrible day ever happened, she knew it would only make things with her mother even worse. The buzzing of her phone snapped her back to reality, yet again.

"Yep, that's me, Rachel Berry: womanizer extraordinaire." That time she couldn't stop herself from laughing. She laughed so hard her stomach felt like it was about to rip in two, and happy tears welled up in her eyes. It was the type of laughter that took control of her whole body, and her lungs hurt from being unable to breathe. She struggled to keep quiet, but it was a downhill battle, and she quickly lost the war.

"It's been a long time since I've heard you laugh like that," Judy said from her place in the doorway. She had been watching Quinn for a minute or so, and was amazed by what she saw. It made the older woman smile just a little. Hearing her mother's voice brought Quinn crashing back to reality. The laughter died on the lips as she stared up at her mother. "In fact, I don't think I've ever heard you laugh like that before." Quinn had no idea what to say. She put her phone down on the nightstand and sat up on the bed, hoping she didn't look like a scared, lost little girl because that's exactly how she was feeling. "Who were you talking to that made you laugh that hard?"

"Rachel," Quinn said without hesitation. She wanted to be honest with her mother. Maybe if she were completely honest about their relationship her mom would be less resistant in accepting it. Judy tensed up at the mention of Rachel's name. Her jaw clenched a little, but Quinn didn't think she looked mad. She thought her mom looked exhausted. "She makes me laugh like that a lot. I told you she's not like anyone I've ever dated, and I don't just mean it's because she's a girl. I feel like I'm a better person because of her. I'm not as uptight and stressed out as I used to be."

Judy took in a large breath, and let it out very slowly. She looked at her daughter, really looked at her, and she could tell there was something different. She had noticed weeks before, but she didn't fully realize what it was until now. Quinn was happy. Maybe not right at this moment, but she had been walking around the house as if she were floating on clouds. Judy wanted to believe that it was life getting back to normal, that her daughter had grieved the loss of her baby, was moving on, and felt at ease now that Russell was out of the house. But she wasn't entirely correct, and she needed to face up to that fact. She walked in the room, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Mom?" Quinn asked after a few minutes of silence. She felt really exposed under her mother's gaze. The other woman seemed to be inspecting her, as if she were a doctor looking for a disease, and the former cheerleader didn't like it at all. Why was her mother acting like this? She didn't have a clue, and a small part of her really didn't want to know. "Do you hate me now?" Judy's jaw literally fell open in shock. Did she react that badly downstairs? Was her daughter truly afraid that she would _hate_ her for this? Those five little words made her feel like a disgrace and a failure.

"No, sweetie, I could never hate you," she said, and gently ran her fingers through her daughter's hair. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she sniffled quietly. "I'm just trying to understand. You only like boys, Quinnie; you had a baby. I just don't understand why you would do something like this."

Quinn stared down at the bedspread, and focused on keeping her breathing calm. It had taken her and Rachel a couple of months to figure out exactly what it was between them; she couldn't expect her mother to be completely accepting in one night.

"It's not something that I was looking for," she said, and looked into her mother's eyes. She tried as hard as she could to keep her emotions under control, but it was difficult. "I never thought that I could ever feel this way for another girl, and I was really confused, too. But we care about each other a lot. When we're together, no matter where we are or what we're doing, it's like the rest of the world just fades away, and there's only us. I've never felt like that with any of the boys I was with."

"I don't know what to think about this, Quinn," Judy said, continuing to run her fingers through her daughter's hair. As silly as it sounded, she needed this contact right now. She felt like everything around her was completely out of control, and stroking her daughter's hair was something she always did when the young blonde was upset. "This isn't something I ever thought would happen. I just don't know how to handle it." A tight knot welled in Quinn's chest, as memories of the night she was thrown out flashed through her mind.

"I'm still the same person, Mom, I'm just dating a girl now," she said and sniffled. She really didn't want to break down and cry again, but with the way the conversation was going it looked like that was going to happen whether she wanted it to or not. She got an idea and she hoped her mother would go for it. She knew it would probably be really awkward, but maybe it would help things. Maybe it would help her mother understand that is was normal, and not something to be ashamed or afraid of. "If you met her you would understand. She's so special, Mom, you'd love her if you just got to know her."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Quinn. I don't think I can be around the girl who…" she trailed off, not wanting to offend her daughter, but it was clear how uncomfortable she was with the situation.

Quinn's eyebrows furrowed a bit, but she fought back her irritation. When was her mother going to stop blaming Rachel for this? She hoped it was soon because while she understood it was going to take time for her mother to adjust to this, she also knew when it came to defending the little diva her patience ran very thin.

"…helped me realize I'm gay and accept myself for who I am?" she asked, and the words sounded strange on her tongue. That was the very first time she'd ever said the words. Sure, she told everyone that she was with Rachel now, but she had never said whether she was gay or bi. Now that she said the words to her mother, it felt official and a little scary. "If she were a boy you would want to meet him to make sure he's good enough to date me. It's the same thing."

Judy shook her head a little, she became very tense, and she slowly put more space between herself and Quinn on the bed. "No, Quinnie, it's not a good idea," she said, sounding slightly panicked. She stood up from the bed and unconsciously straightened her skirt out, trying to give her anxious hands something to do. Quinn looked at her mother with the most desperate feeling she'd ever had. She didn't want her mom to leave the room. She had a feeling that if she left now than things would only get worse, but when she tried to speak no sound came out. "I don't want that girl in my house, and that's final." She left the room in a rush, shutting the door behind her harder than intended, making it slam in the frame. For the second time that day, Quinn broke down in tears, and she knew it was overdramatic, but she felt like her whole world just came crashing down.


	4. Chapter 4

The following morning Quinn walked down the hall of McKinley High looking like she was ready to kill. Everyone at that school knew the look on her face all too well, and as she walked, they parted for her. She ignored them, however, and made her way to her locker. Thanks to her mother she had missed first period, and she was not looking forward to the rest of the day. As she was putting her books away, she caught something out of the corner of her eye, but didn't look up as her Cheerio uniformed friend stood next to her, leaning against the locker with an eyebrow raised.

"Wow, Quinn, the HBIC is making herself seen," Santana said with a leer. As much as Quinn liked her friend, she really didn't have the patience this morning to put up with Santana's remarks. But she didn't want to start a fight, so she bit her tongue and hoped the bell would ring soon so she could sit in her geography class and pretend to care about the rest of the world. "I'm impressed. I was starting to think Berry stole your spine to give herself some courage."

Quinn slammed the locker door shut, and her jaw clenched. For just a millisecond the Latina looked afraid, but quickly wiped the look off her face.

"Did you need something, Santana?" she asked, and she sounded just as angry as she looked. The Cheerio swore she almost got scratched from all that brittle. "Because if not, I really need to get to class." She held her books to her chest, and looked down at the hall. There were certain people she was hoping to avoid that day, and standing here instead of moving around wasn't going to help her chances of not being seen.

"Retract the claws, Blondie, I was just making a joke," Santana said, and held her hands up in mock surrender. Then she crossed her arms over her chest, and took a moment to just look at her friend. Quinn looked like crap. To everyone else at the school she looked like her normal, hot self, but Santana could see the bags forming under her eyes. She could see how tired the girl was. She was concerned, but she didn't show it. She did have a reputation to uphold. "What has you in such a wonderful mood? Is the Hobbit's obsession with musicals finally getting to you?"

A look of pure rage came over Quinn, and Santana was sure the little blonde was going to take a swing at her. "Don't call her that!" she yelled, drawing the attention of the people around them. Santana looked around, glaring at people who dared to stop and listen in on their conversation sending them back on their way. Quinn took a breath and calmed herself down. Getting pissed at her friend wasn't going to help the situation. "It doesn't have anything to do with Rachel. I came out to my mom last night, and she freaked." Santana's eyes went wide. She wasn't sure if this thing between her friend and the genetic experiment known as Rachel Berry was a fluke, a phase or temporary insanity. The fact that Quinn told her mom meant it was more than that.

"This morning she ambushed me in the kitchen with the pastor from our church," Quinn said, and her eyes welled up with tears. "I had to sit there and listen to him go on and on about straying off the path of righteousness and falling into bed with sin." The blonde took a moment to calm down; she willed the tears back and let out a little breath. Santana stood there, not knowing what to do. "She doesn't even know Rachel. If she would just give her a chance she would see that this isn't wrong." Quinn let out another little sigh and tried to forget the horrible things said to her that morning.

"It is wrong, Quinn," Santana said, and the expression on Quinn's face was a mixture of surprise and hurt. For a second she was in denial. There's no way her friend just said what she had, especially after having a very not so secret relationship with Brittany. "You used to rule this place, and now you're dating the most annoying person in this school. But the wrong part? You're not even tapping that. Her sweaters are enough to make me want to go blind, but she's sneaky hot, and you're wasting this opportunity." Quinn let out a little sigh of relief, and forced a small smile.

"I know you think you're helping me, cheering me up or whatever it is you think you're doing, but you're really not," she said, and the Latina couldn't help but scoff. Quinn rolled her eyes and started walking down the hallway. She needed to get to class, needed to get away from her locker before she saw someone she was trying to avoid.

"Helping you? Were you listening?" Santana asked, sounding just as fake confused as she looked. Quinn couldn't help but roll her eyes again. "You needs to pick those berries while they're still ripe before her annoying ratio outgrows her hot ratio and you can't stand her." Quinn held back her irritation, tried as hard as she could to bite her tongue, but she knew if she didn't get away from the oversexed girl soon she would lose it. "It's going to happen sooner rather than later if all you do is hold hands and kiss like a couple of twelve year olds."

"God, Santana, is sex the only thing your entire existence is about?" Quinn spat out and turned to face the Latina. She looked pissed, that much was obvious, but there was something else about her that the other girl just couldn't quite put her finger on. She was too shocked by Quinn's outburst to try and figure it out. "Getting into someone's pants, not caring about what they feel or have to say? Explain to me what you have to show for that because from where I'm standing, I'm the one who got the girl." Quinn turned on her heel, and headed off down the hallway, and almost collided into Rachel.

"Quinn, why does Santana look like she's about to cry?" the diva asked, sounding concerned. She had seen the two talking, and when things looked like they were getting heated she made her way towards them. However, she had been too far away to hear what they were saying, and then Quinn stormed off. The blonde glanced back at her friend, and she felt a pang of guilt for saying what she had. She knew her friend regretted treating Brittany the way she had, but hearing her talk about Rachel like that made her see red. She turned her attention back to Rachel, and forced her expression to be relaxed.

"She's Santana. Who knows why she does most of what she does?" she asked, and gently held onto Rachel's hand and the two started walking together down the hall. "She probably just realized those jeans are no longer in." She felt terrible lying to Rachel like this, but she really didn't want to get the brunette involved in a stupid fight with Santana. If the diva found out what she said, it would start a fight between the two of them. And getting into a fight with her girlfriend was the last thing she needed.

"Ok," Rachel said, and let out a little sigh. Quinn wasn't a very good liar. Finn fell for it all the time out of a desperate sense of needing to believe her and being a little on the slow side, but Rachel was sharp. She knew she wasn't being told the truth, but since her girlfriend had a rough night, she wasn't going to call her on it right now. "Is everything alright? You didn't pick me up like we planned, and you weren't at your first class this morning." Her eyebrows furrowed a little when Quinn's jaw tensed.

"Everything's fine," she said and tried to sound normal. She didn't want Rachel to know just how much everything was affecting her. Maybe when they were alone together she would let her guard down and show the brunette her true feelings. Right now, when they were surrounded by half of the school, was not the time to get into it. "I just had some trouble getting out of the house. I should have let you know I wasn't going to make it. I'm sorry I didn't call or text." Rachel's grip on Quinn's hand tightened as she stopped walking. She pulled a little, manipulating the blonde's body so they were face to face.

"Do you want to go somewhere and talk about it?" she asked, and she sounded almost desperate. Quinn had a habit of shutting people out, and the last thing Rachel wanted was for the other girl to feel alone. "I'm here for you, Quinn. I know during your pregnancy no one made any real effort to be there for you, and I'm sorry. But I'm here for you. You don't have to go through this alone." Green eyes welled with tears, and Quinn sniffled a little trying to fight off the urge to cry.

"Thank you, Rach. I really needed to hear that," she said, her voice thick with all of the emotions she was trying to hold back. She wrapped her arms around the other girl as best she could with her books still snug in one arm. Rachel hugged her back, wrapping her arms tightly around her girl, and rested her head against her shoulder. Quinn pulled back first, and softly kissed Rachel on the lips. They kept it chaste, but it lingered for a few moments. When they finally pulled back, Rachel had a small smile on her face, but Quinn frowned when she saw a boy leaning up against one of the lockers leering at the two of them.

"Excuse me, do you have a problem?" Quinn asked, and took a step towards the boy. Rachel put her hand on Quinn's arm, trying to calm her down, but the blonde shrugged her off. The diva's eyebrows furrowed. The former cheerleader had never done that before. Quinn didn't even seem to know the diva was there anymore. Her angry green eyes locked on the boy in front of her, as she slowly stalked towards him. Rachel got a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd seen Quinn look like this before, and it was normally right before she had a slushie thrown in her face.

"Not at all," the boy said with a smirk. "Just keep doing what you're doing, ladies." Quinn marched up to him, and got right in his face. Rachel rushed forward and stood next to them just in case. She had never seen the blonde get quite this aggressive before, and it was scaring her. She had never seen a look of fury so pure on Quinn's face before, and Rachel was surprised the boy didn't catch on fire, the look in those green eyes was so intense.

"I don't know who you are, so why don't you get out of here before I decide to make your life at this school a living hell," she said.

Rachel shook her head a little. She hated seeing Quinn like this. This wasn't her girlfriend right now. This wasn't the same person who made her laugh, the same person who held her while she cried and made her feel better, the same person who blushed as she recalled embarrassing childhood memories she swore she had never told to anyone else before. No, this was the HBIC who had ruled the school with an iron fist. The boy didn't look afraid, and he scoffed at Quinn's words.

"Blow me, bitch, or are you too busy munching rug to learn how to suck dick?" he asked, and before anyone could even blink Quinn slapped him across the face. An ugly red mark showed up where her hand had fallen, and everyone in the hallway stopped what they were doing to watch the scene. Rachel's eyes went wide, and she wanted to reach out and drag the girl off before she got into trouble, but she was too stunned to move.

"What the hell is your problem?" Quinn yelled, and shoved the boy against the lockers, her books made a loud thud as they fell to the floor. All of her anger, all of her frustration was finally getting to her, and she could feel that emotional wall she carefully constructed this morning starting to crumble. "Do you even have parents? Who thinks it's ok to talk to other people like that? My relationship is not for your or anyone's entertainment. It doesn't fucking matter what any of you think. You're nothing to me, nobody cares what any of you think!" She grabbed onto him and pulled him forward, and slammed him up against the locker again. Rachel finally broke out of her stunned trance, and grabbed onto Quinn's arm.

"Quinn, stop it! Let him go!" she yelled, and tried as hard as she could to get the blonde to release her hold on the boy, but Quinn was a lot stronger than she looked when she was angry. "He's just some stupid jerk who's probably one of those inbred hill people who are raised with no manners. He's not worth getting suspended over. Let him go."

Quinn finally let go, and he walked off. Rachel held onto Quinn's wrist to prevent her from running after him. She looked into the blonde's eyes that were still full of rage. "Quinn, please talk to me. What happened with your mother that's made you so angry?"

"I'm not talking about this here," Quinn snapped, and pulled her wrist from Rachel's grasp. She bent down and picked up her books. She let out a strong sigh, and ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to calm herself down. It didn't work. "We'll talk later, ok? We have to get to class." Before Rachel could respond, Quinn turned on her heel and headed off down the hallway leaving her girlfriend standing there with tears running down her cheeks.

Quinn didn't look back as she walked past her classroom, and headed straight for the auditorium. She'd never done this before, never skipped class to sing on an empty stage, completely by herself with so many emotions desperate to get out she felt like she was coming apart at the seams. But when the music started to play, and the lights shone down on her, everything else seemed to fade away, and she channeled every ounce of her being into the words.

"I can't pass up this opportunity to make myself observed. I can't pass up this opportunity to let myself be heard. Would you, like to, be the one who sees me lose this all?" she sang, and images of Rachel came to mind as she thought about all of the words her mother had said that morning. "Would you, like to, be the one who sees me fall?" She couldn't believe her mother would rather have her daughter be alone and lonely because the person she was with was the "wrong gender." Quinn's face contorted into a look of pure rage when the music changed and the song went into the chorus.

"Nobody's gonna stand in my way!" she yelled, her hands went to her hair and she lightly pulled on it, and she stomped along with the beat adding more dramatic effect to the already intense scene. "Give it up, Mom, I'm doin' this my way!" In her mind she could see her mother sitting in the audience as she screamed her heart out. "Nobody's gonna stand in my way! Give it up, Mom, I'm doin' this my way!" She carried the note longer than the song called for, but she couldn't control her voice. All of the emotions she had been trying to hold back burst through the floodgates, and she collapsed onto the stage, crying her eyes out and feeling like she had screwed everything up.


	5. Author's Note

Just wanted to let everyone only on the story alert know that the sequel to this fic has been posted. It's called Last Night On Earth.


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